Coreopsis plant named &#39;URITW02&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Coreopsis  plant named, ‘URITW02’, that is characterized by its small inflorescences with ray florets that are that are pink in color, its dwarf plant habit, and its involucral bracts that are small in size and oblong to ovate in shape.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is co-pending with U.S. Plant patent applications filedfor plants derived from the same breeding program that are entitledCoreopsis Plant Named ‘URITW01’ (U. S. Plant patent applicationpending)* and Coreopsis Plant Named ‘URITW03’ (U. S. Plant patentapplication pending)*. Applicant gives the examiner the authority toreplace U. S. Plant Patent Application pending with an Application No.or Patent No. if applicable and delete this statement.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Coreopsis rosea×Coreopsis verticillata

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘URITW02’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCoreopsis plant, botanically of hybrid origin and known as Coreopsis‘URITW02’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name,‘URITW02’. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous perennialgrown for landscape and container use.

The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program inIcheon-si, Korea. The objective of the breeding program is to develophybrid cultivars of Coreopsis with unique flower colors and dwarf planthabit.

The new cultivar arose as a mutation using gamma radiation of un-rootedcuttings of ‘URITW02’ in January of 2011. ‘URITW02’ was selected inSeptember 2011 as a single unique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemcuttings by the Inventor in Icheon-si, Korea in September of 2011.Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that thecharacteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘URITW02’ as unique cultivar of Coreopsis.

1. ‘URITW02’ exhibits small inflorescences with ray florets that arethat are pink in color.2. ‘URITW02’ exhibits a dwarf plant habit.3. ‘URITW02’ exhibits involucral bracts that are small in size andoblong to ovate in shape.

The parent plant of ‘URITW02’, ‘URITW01’, differs from ‘URITW02’ inhaving inflorescences with ray florets that are crimson red in color.‘URITW02’ can be compared to the Coreopsis cultivars ‘Limerock Ruby’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,455) and ‘URITW03’. ‘Limerock Ruby’ differs from‘URITW02’ in having a plant height that is 50% taller, in having a widerplant spread, and in having inflorescences that are larger in size withray florets that are crimson red in color. ‘URITW03’ differs from‘URITW02’ in having inflorescences with ray florets that are light redin color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Coreopsis. The photographs weretaken of a 3 month-old plant of ‘URITW02’ as grown outdoors in a 13-cmcontainer in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The photograph in FIG. 1 providesa side view of a plant of ‘URITW02’ in bloom. The photograph in FIG. 2provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of ‘URITW02’. Thephotograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘URITW02’. The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from thecolor values cited in the detailed botanical description, whichaccurately describe the colors of the new Coreopsis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 3 month-old plants of the newcultivar as grown outdoors in 13-cm containers in Boskoop, TheNetherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variationsin environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not beentested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with the 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general colorterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Early summer to late summer in The            Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Dwarf and upright.        -   Height and spread.—An average of 22.4 cm in height and 21.0            cm in width.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A Zone 4.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous when young, becoming fleshy with            age, 162D in color.        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings.        -   Root development.—An average of 10 days for root initiation            and about 5 weeks to produce a young rooted plant in a 10-cm            container.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Rounded.        -   Stem color.—144A.        -   Stem size.—An average of 7.2 cm in length (excluding            inflorescence) and 1.5 mm in diameter.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous and glossy.        -   Stem aspect.—Upward and moderately outward.        -   Stem strength.—Strong.        -   Branching habit.—Well-branched, an average of 27 lateral            branches.        -   Internode length.—An average of 2.7 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 4.5 cm in length and 3.5 mm in            width.        -   Leaf shape.—Narrow lanceolate.        -   Leaf base.—Narrow cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color; upper surface 143A and lower            surface 144A.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf surface.—Both surfaces dull and glabrous.        -   Leaf color.—Young and mature upper surface; 143A, young and            mature lower surface; 143B.        -   Leaf number.—An average of 6 leaves (3 pairs) per stem.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal capitulate, with a single row            of ray florets surrounding disk florets in the center.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—An average of 3 weeks,            self-cleaning.        -   Fragrance.—Moderate to faint, of musk and straw.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—An average of 1 per lateral            branch.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 2.1 cm in diameter and 7            mm in height, disk portion an average of 6 mm in diameter.        -   Inflorescence buds.—An average of 4 mm in depth and in            diameter, globular in shape, color; 146A with apex 152C to            152D.        -   Peduncle.—Primary; an average of 7.2 cm in length and 1 mm            in width, held straight upright, secondary; an average of            4.8 cm in length and 1 mm in width, held at an average angle            of 30° to primary peduncle, slightly glossy and glabrous on            all surfaces, 144B in color and moderately strong.-   Involucral bracts:    -   -   Bract number.—Two rows, an average of 8 (inner row) and 6            (outer row).        -   Bract arrangement.—Rotate, placed in two separate rows.        -   Bract size.—Outer bracts; an average of 2 mm in length and            1.5 mm in width, inner bracts; an average of 5 mm in length            and 3 mm in width.        -   Bract color.—Inner bracts; 12A heavily suffused with N25C            with base 146A and outer bracts; 143A.        -   Bract texture.—Glabrous and dull on upper and lower surfaces            of outer and inner bracts.        -   Bract apex.—Outer bracts; obtuse and inner bracts; acute.        -   Bract base.—Broadly cuneate on inner and outer bracts.        -   Bract margins.—Entire.        -   Bract shape.—Outer bracts; ovate to oblong, inner bracts;            ovate.-   Ray florets (sterile):    -   -   Number.—An average of 8 arranged primarily in one row.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Size.—An average of 1 cm in length and 7 mm in width.        -   Apex.—Irregularly lobed with an average of 3 acute lobes,            lobes are bluntly acute and center lobe is about 1.5 mm            longer than the lateral lobes.        -   Base.—Rounded.        -   Margins.—Entire with apex lobed.        -   Aspect.—Held horizontal.        -   Texture.—Glabrous and dull on both surfaces, inner surface            is slightly velvety and outer surface is slightly carinate.        -   Color.—Upper surface when opening; 70C, lower surface when            opening; 179D, upper and lower surface when fully open; 70C,            color not fading.-   Disk flowers (perfect):    -   -   Shape.—Tubular, spirally arranged on disc.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Lower 75% fused into tube.        -   Number.—About 50.        -   Size.—An average of 4.5 mm in length and 1 mm in width at            the apex and 0.4 mm in width at the base.        -   Color.—En masse; 169D, corolla; 177A with base of tube 5B in            color, flared portion is 169D.        -   Receptacle.—An average of 1 mm in diameter and depth, 144B            in color.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Presence.—Disk flowers are perfect, ray flowers are sterile.        -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, an average of 2 mm in length, style; an            average of 1.5 mm in length and 16A in color, stigma is            decurrent and 21A to 21B in color, ovary is 150D in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, anther; basifixed and linear in            shape, an average of 1 mm in length and 203D in color,            pollen is low in quantity and 17B in color.        -   Fruit/seed.—No fruit or seed development was observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named‘URITW02’ as herein illustrated and described.